Telangana: Doctors protest against hike in retirement age of professors

The PG students and junior doctors of Gandhi, Osmania and Kakatiya medical colleges are protesting against the hike in the retirement age of professors. They are also demanding for the recruitment of PG students and junior doctors for the post of assistant professor on Saturday.

Dr. Lohit Juda, President, Gandhi hospital, while speaking to ANI said, "We have been protesting for the last 6 days to enhance the recruitment procedure in the teaching hospitals and medical colleges."

Juda said, "Our main demand is to speed up the recruitment process for the post of assistant professor. There are around 1400 vacancies. And apart from that, the present assistant professor will become associate professor once the professors in the chairs get retired. But instead, they have hiked the retirement age of the professors from 58 to 65."

Juda also informed that the decision to hike the age was taken without consulting anyone. Emphasizing on it he said, "If any decisions as such are to be taken then a committee must be organised in which junior doctors and PG students must be a part. Apart from this, they give us notifications about being a contract doctor. Everyone knows the condition of contract based doctors."

Talking on the current scenario, Juda also said, "The government need not recruit fresh batch for the next 7 years once they increase the retirement age of the present professors. So is this what they want? And subsequently, we will not be posted for the next 7 years. For the last 10 years, we haven't had any chance and now for another 7 years they are not giving us any chance."

"If you want to achieve Arogya Telangana, then recruit assistant professors as soon as possible," he added.

Dr Vijayendhar, chairman for the Telangana Junior Doctors Association said, "What we demand is to recruit the PG students and Junior Doctors for the post of Assistant Professors and contract based posts must be completely removed."

Dr Jahengir, junior doctor, speaking to ANI said, "We are demanding for the recruitment of assistant professors on a regular basis. Secondly, we don't want any contact based jobs. We are also against age hike for the retirement of professors from 58 to 65 years. We have boycotted the elective services for the past five days and will continue the same if our demands are not fulfilled.